1. Field of the Invention
A bass viol type musical instrument specifically structured to have its overall dimension and configuration reduced to facilitate transporting and incorporating structural components which serve to effectively enlarge and/or vary the width and/or height of the instrument so that it may be played in the conventional standing and/or sitting position.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Stringed musical instruments have been in existence and enjoyed wide popularity for literally hundreds of years. Such stringed instruments are considered desirable because of the musical sounds or tones which can be obtained during playing. Typically, this type of instrument incorporates one or more strings extending along the length of the instrument and in overlying relation to a sound box and extending or suspended upwardly therefrom by a bridge plate or like structure. The sound box is defined by a hollow interior body of the instrument specifically structured, dimensioned and configured to naturally amplify the acoustics produced by the vibrations of the strings when contacted by a bow or strummed by the fingers of the player. Again, while such instruments have enjoyed great popularity, there is a commonly recognized problem especially with the larger of such instruments. An example of such larger instruments is commonly referred to as a "bass." However, a more technical name for such a larger instrument would be a "bass viol" since it is the largest member of the viola family of musical instruments. Typically, the bass instrument is played while the musician stands alongside and in partial contact therewith. Also, the bass is played while the musician is in a sitting position, wherein such position is more common with smaller representations of the "bass."
However, commonly recognized problems with such instrument is the relatively large size and bulkiness of the instrument which prevents it from being readily transported or moved from one location to another as needed. Because of this large size, various means of public transportation are frequently not equipped to carry such instruments. In addition, these instruments can be comparatively expensive because of the overall size and the necessary workmanship required in the soundbox portion of the body.
Accordingly, there is a well recognized need in the prior art for an improved stringed musical instrument having an overall reduced size thereby making it readily transportable and positionable between any of a number of various locations. In addition, such a preferred instrument should have certain structural components which enable the variance of certain dimensional features and/or configurations of the instrument in order that it may be played in a conventional position or manner by the musician. In order to reduce the overall size, such a preferred instrument would not have the conventional music box including the hollow interior body portion. However, such could be compensated for by including electrical pickups which serves to amplify the vibrations of the plurality of strings of a given string assembly and thereby amplify the musical sounds or tones which are obtained by the vibration of the strings of the instrument.
A number of prior art instruments have recognized the above set forth problems existing with the type of stringed musical instrument or "bass" as set forth above. Accordingly, new instruments have been designed which attempt to overcome the bulkiness of the conventional acoustical bass in terms of structuring such instruments to be broken down, collapsed or otherwise reduced in overall dimension. However, some of these prior art instruments do not obtain the tonal quality even through the use of electrical pickups and further, such modified instruments are not capable of being played in the conventional position or orientation which is quite important to accomplished musicians.
The following U.S. patents are representative of prior art stringed musical instruments comprising a modified structure attempting to overcome the above set forth problems in the prior art: Taylor, U.S. Pat. No. 4,126,072; Grawi, U.S. Pat. No. 4,481,856; Ruggiero, U.S. Pat. No. 2,464,100; Zalinge, U.S. Pat. No. 4,242,938; Welch, U.S. Pat. No. 1,699,384; Dopera, U.S. Pat. No. 3,831,485; and De Lazaro, U.S. Pat. No. 2,539,297.